Bring Me To Life
by EternallyJaded1
Summary: AH. He's lost and alone. She's intrigued by a mysterious stranger. Mending a shattered soul isn't easy, and with time running out will love be enough to save them? REWORKED
1. Chapter One

**Thank you for reading my story, I've tidied it up a little but it's essentially the same as the original. I'm going to be honest and say that it isn't finished and it probably never will be, my apologies. But thank you anyway and feel free to read on if you'd like ^-^ ~EternallyJaded**

* * *

_The silhouettes of a group of people were the only things moving in the still city scene. Their shadows crept along the alleys and clung threateningly to the walls. It was a well rehearsed routine, almost like a dance, although anyone who voiced that opinion would have been quickly dealt with._

_Their ages seemed to span from eleven to eighteen but in reality the youngest was only eight, far too young to be involved in the terrible things that a group like this would certainly be doing in the dead of night. The boy in question moved along reluctantly behind the rest of the group as they sauntered forward. Another boy, slightly older than him, tugged at his sleeve and forced him to walk faster._

_The youngest boy fidgeted nervously with his newly pierced ear, a habit he had already picked up, and stood still as the group came to a stop. They were standing outside a bakery, their target for the night. It seemed an odd place to break into, but apparently the owner had done something to offend Skull, the leader of the gang and they were there for payback. It was an easy enough place to break into; no high-tech security systems and the people around it weren't exactly the type to rush to the aid of someone in need._

"_Here's the plan," Skull announced in a stage whisper, "We smash the windows and bust in. Then we'll have about thirty seconds to get in and out before old Mr Bear drags his ass outta bed. Take what you can, do as much damage as possible."_

_Fear pumped through the youngest boy's veins and he shivered. He adjusted the hood on his black sweater so that it covered his face._

"_All got your weapons?" Skull asked, bringing a crowbar out of his jacket. An array of knives, lighters and the occasional gun were held in the air. The boy felt the sharp blade of the tiny Swiss army knife press against his palm in his pocket. "Good." Skull grinned and turned to the window, swung back his arm and smashed the glass._

_In the seconds immediately after the sound of the glass shattering all hell broke loose as shrieking and war cries filled the air. The riot had begun. The mob streamed into the shop stopping only to smash up the 'Beardsley's Bakery' sign on the way in. The youngest boy took a deep breath and followed them, stepping over the jagged remains of the glass panes. A cold sweat broke out over his face as he stood near the door, not wanting to get involved but hoping his lack of enthusiasm would go unnoticed. Smoke filled the air as anything that would burn was set alight. The place was trashed; everything that could be broken was and everything that didn't had lumps taken out of it._

"_Come on!" One of the boys, whose name was Michael, called to him, "Smash somethin' already!" Not wanting to get hit for his disobedience, the boy threw some __loaves onto the floor and kicked them. Michael shook his head and dragged the younger boy towards the back of the shop dodging fires as they went. Upstairs, the owner of the shop could be heard rattling around and making his way towards the end of the stairs._

"_Alright, get out!" Skull called and started towards the front of the shop holding handfuls of money. People shoved each other out of the way in a rush to get away from the scene of the crime. It was survival of the fittest and the weakest found himself at the back._

_A shot rang out and he fell to the ground, howling in pain. Terrified, he looked down at his arm to see blood pouring out of a bullet hole. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed in pain. Scrambling around he caught sight of his friend climbing out of the broken window._

"_Michael!" he screamed, "Help me!" Michael stopped and turned to face him, a conflicted frown on his face. But it only took a second for his mind to be made up and ducked out of the shop, disappearing into the cold night air._

Emmett woke up from the nightmare in a sweat the same way he always did. Groaning he sat up and warily took in his surroundings. The room was painted in a dark blue but was so old that the paint was peeling off the walls. There were a couple of tattered posters of heavy metal bands but it wasn't enough to cover up the damp which seeped through from the ceiling. The only furniture was a wooden dresser, a tiny wardrobe and a single-person bed which was much to small for someone of Emmett's size. It was the same room he had been in for four years and the room he was leaving today.

He dragged himself out of bed and down the hall to the bathroom before anyone else was awake. He turned on the facet and splashed the freezing water on his face to wake himself up. Looking up, he caught sight of his reflection in the cracked mirror. Bright blue eyes glared at him from behind the glass, a mouth turned down at the sides and curly black hair hung over his face like a veil. He sighed and pressed a towel briefly to his face before dropping it back onto the ground where it usually stayed.

Ten minutes later Emmett was eating his third slice of dry toast and leaning on the kitchen counter. He was looking absently across the snowy lawn and thinking about what was happening today. He was being transferred for 'bad behaviour'. Apparently he'd been in one too many fights and been caught with things that were a little too illegal; the foster home were done with him. They were unloading him onto another home up-state who would 'deal with him'. But he was a lost cause and everybody knew it -the carers knew it, his parents knew it, Hell, even he knew it. Luckily for just about everyone he was almost eighteen and soon he wouldn't be anyone's burden.

"Well, the McCarty kid's leaving today," the cheerful voice of one of the carers echoed down the stairs. The reply, as if to prove Emmett's thoughts, was just as optimistic.

"Yeah, to tell you the truth I can't wait to get him off my hands. I feel bad but..." The voice trailed off.

"I know what you mean, he's bad news. I don't like to give up on a kid but he's he's rotten to the core." Emmett could almost hear his head shaking in disapproval and he felt a pang of something at the words but couldn't quite define it. Whatever, he'd heard the words so many times they no longer had any effect.

"Oh please," the second voice laughed, "He's hardly a kid, he's about seven foot and built like a brick wall."

"Um hmm," the first voice agreed, "I'm glad I've never been on the receiving end of one of his punches. Still, he'll be eighteen soon enough and then he can rot in prison where scum like that be-"

The man stopped short as he walked into the kitchen to find Emmett staring at him icily, one eyebrow raised in arrogant defiance. Immediately the colour drained from his face and he felt a certain pride in knowing that his stare had such an effect. It was well known that it was dangerous to be on Emmett's bad side. And it was almost as well known that he didn't actually _have _a good side.

"Oh, um, Emmett, I didn't see you there..." The care worker stuttered quickly, not-so-subtly pulling the other carer in front of him as a makeshift shield. Emmett strode across the tiny kitchen and leaned in closer to the carer's face. If he was pale before he was startlingly puce now.

"Obviously," he growled before pushing past him and back to his room where he would shoving his small amount of possessions into his battered rucksack ready to be carted off to yet somewhere else where he wouldn't belong. _It'll be over soon, _He reassured himself, _soon you won't be anyone's problem_.

* * *

Alice Brandon was a strange child; crazy and even more curious than most children of her age. Some of the workers at the care home called her 'lively' others 'inquisitive' but they were just being nice. The truth was that Alice was weird. Even from a young age she had been good at predicting things like the weather and how well someone's practical joke would turn out. That freaked out the other kids but it made them respect her all the same.

As a teenager Alice preferred to be described as quirky. She had a sense of style unlike any others; modern and fresh but with her own eccentric twist. She didn't have many designer clothes (due to a lack of funds) but really admired people who did. Every day without fail her many social networking sites were updated. Alice had an obsession with Facebook that rivalled her obsession with fashion; the world had to know everywhere she went, everything she ate, every time she breathed... This was because (and any therapist Alice had ever seen would tell you the same) she had no identity.

_It's a cold, dark night in Biloxi, Mississippi. A frightened teenager timidly pushes open a gate to her safe haven, and for once it doesn't squeak. Quickly, she steals down the path clutching the package in her arms closer to her body. The door looms in front of her and suddenly she hesitates, reconsidering what she's about to do. Maybe she shouldn't go through with it... But what else is there to do?_

_She bends down and lays the package onto the dusky ground. Peeling back the blankets, she uncovers the face of a cherub which peeks out at her with huge blue eyes. The baby is tiny in the extreme- too small to abandon. She takes a deep breath and knocks the door three times. Pausing only to take one last glance at the baby the girl flits back down the path and closes the gate._

_She fades like a ghost, leaving behind no trace of her ever being there. She doesn't even make a sound. All that's left behind is the baby girl with no note, no belongings, not even a name._

"Alice?" Edward's voice brought her out of her daydream. Alice blinked a few times and looked towards him. They were in the small but cosy dining room of the care home they both resided in. It was lunch time so the room was crowded by about twenty kids, all of whom were chattering noisily. It was times like these that Alice was glad that she could tune out the noise and disappear into her own little world.

"Um-hmm," she answered Edward who was looking at her in disbelief.

"You weren't listening to a thing I just said, were you?" he asked, already knowing the answer and shaking his head at her. But the corners of his mouth were pulled into a familiar smile.

"Well..." Alice considered guessing from reading Edward's face but when he turned the full power of his emerald eyes on her she smiled sheepishly, hoping he would forgive her, "Not really..."

Edward laughed. "I said, the new guy arrives today," he repeated for Alice's benefit, "What do you think he'll be like?"

Alice was thoughtful for a second. "His name's Emmett, isn't it? It's kind of a shy person's name."

"True," Edward agreed, "What else? If anyone can predict what he'll be like, it'll be you, after all." Alice grinned happily and her eyes lit up at the prospect of delivering another accurate prediction. She took pride in her amazing track record and found it fun to creep everyone out with her 'paranormal powers'. Everyone, that is, except Edward. Since the day that Edward had arrived at the care home he and Alice had formed a special connection. Edward was the only one who had ever fully appreciated the way it felt to be alone or to be different. The way it felt to be a freak.

"Well, I see a tall, dark and handsome stranger in your future," Alice said in her most professional and mystical voice. Edward laughed and told her to be serious. "Oh, I am quite serious Mr Mason, don't doubt the powers of the occult." Alice shot him a very serious look and his eyes widened in slight concern as he held up his hands apologetically. "The stranger has had much suffering but he has no voice. He walks alone; he requests no company and no one volunteers it."

By now Edward was enthralled and Alice's act moved into its next stage. Her voice deepened and became more urgent. She started to sway almost invisibly and her eyes lightened to an icy blue that almost looked white. When she spoke, the wisdom of the spirits seemed to fill her and possess her to speak, "His aura is darkened and tinted red- he has pain and he brings it with him. He inflicts it on those around him to lessen his own heartbreak. Only one can save him from his vicious circle. Otherwise his suffering will be eternal..."

Alice trailed off and, even though they were still surrounded by people, the air was silent for a moment. Then the atmosphere rippled and burst into life again. Edward stared at her in awe, the slightest tint of fear present in his eyes.

"Alice, that was unbelievable," He laughed nervously, "You never fail to amaze me with your 'powers'" Alice laughed along with him a little shakily, knowing that Edward was a follower of reason and a sceptic of the supernatural. He pretended that he didn't believe what Alice could do, but deep down she knew that he believed her act. And if she was honest she wasn't sure if she believed it too.

"Well, on a brighter note, let's see what _you_ have in store," Alice smiled at him, turning over a cereal bowl and using it as a crystal ball, "I see...a beautiful woman," Alice winked at him, "She will try and tempt you from your true path. But do not fear! I also see happiness in your future. You will have to wait for it, but when it arrives, it will be glorious!"

Edward laughed visibly calmer, and smirked at her, "Sure Alice, if all that happens I'll eat my hat."

Without missing a beat Alice replied, "You don't own a hat, Edward dear, but if you ate that neckerchief you're so fond of, I for one wouldn't be complaining."

* * *

About two o'clock, a car pulled up outside and a knock was heard at the door. Alice and Edward left their game of chess, which Alice was quite happy about as she was about to lose, and went downstairs to greet the new arrival. The hall was crowded with people desperate to see their new house mate but, being small and agile, Alice guided Edward close to the front of the crowd.

What she could see there was quite uneventful, nothing but the care workers at this home speaking to the care workers from the other one. Eventually, Sally (Alice's favourite carer) stepped forward and said with a bright smile, "Alright everyone, this is Emmett. I want you all to be nice to him and make him feel welcome." And with that she gestured towards a gargantuan man who Alice had assumed was another care worker. Although on second thoughts, that was probably a silly assumption to make.

Emmett was almost twice the height of Alice and suspiciously muscular. He was dressed entirely in black, from his studded Doc Martins all the way up to his Metallica t-shirt and sweeping leather jacket. Combined with his pale white skin and his blade-straight black hair, he looked like he'd just stepped off the set of a movie about vampire slayers. His face would have been handsome if he hadn't been glaring coldly at anyone who dared to make eye contact and wasn't mutilated with as many piercings as would possibly fit onto his face. Alice counted: Two rings above one eyebrow...one stud through the left side of his nose... his lip, five piercings on one ear and two on the other. And she guessed that his tongue was probably pierced too. She shuddered, that meant _twelve _piercings. She would never understand who people could do that to themselves –it wasn't even fashionable!

"Would you like to say something about yourself, Emmett? We're very share-y people here at The Husky Dog!" He gave her a death glare and her smile faltered, "Oh, yes, well, no worries! We've got a shy one here. I'll show you to your room, dear."

While Sally attempted to push her way through the crowd of children Emmett returned to scaring people into staying away from him. His eyes fell on Alice and narrowed threateningly. Her throat felt dry but she didn't back down, she met his eyes and smiled warmly at him. His eyebrows raised slightly in surprise before he looked away and followed Sally easily parting the horde of kids like the red sea.


	2. Chapter Two

Edward awoke to rays of sun pouring through the curtains. It took him a minute to realise why this was so surprising but when he did, he threw off the covers and went quickly to the window. The view was spectacular; the snow had almost completely melted on the streets but it was still present on the mountains visible in the distance. The sun split over the icy hills and sent out a blinding glow which illuminated the valley below. Sunlight filtered through the bright green leaves and thawed out the village. Spring had come at last. Too bad it was summer.

"Edward!" Alice cried hurdling into his room, "It's sunny! I told you it would be." Edward chuckled and picked her up into a hug.

"Yes you did. I should have known better than to doubt you." he said, setting her down again.

"Of course you should have," Alice smiled, "Am I ever wrong?" Edward shook his head and couldn't help but smile at the little pixie he called his best friend. Today she was wearing white skin tight jeans with a light blue, fitted shirt which she had belted at the middle. And to accessorize, a beaded necklace and her only pair of black Converse. Her big blue eyes were lightly done in Kohl and her choppy hair had been neatly spiked out at the ends. Never one to be caught in questionable clothes or without her make up done, she was already up and dressed by 9.30. Not that she needed the make up to look good.

Alice was the prettiest girl in the home; in fact, she was the prettiest girl Edward had ever seen. He had more than a little crush on Alice and had considered asking her out on more than one occasion. But he knew how Alice felt about him and 'best friends' was all they would ever be. Edward was fine with that though. He had accepted it long ago and had put it to rest. But no matter how much he tried to deny it there was still part of him that would do anything for her, even if that meant just maintaining their friendship.

It was still sunny when they got to breakfast and Alice had promised him that it would keep it up for about three days. Whether she had special powers or just looked at the weather forecast a lot, Edward didn't question her statement for a second. She had never once gotten it wrong.

The table was stuffed full of people chatting happily and wolfing down their food like they were about to run out so Edward and Alice ended up sharing a seat. Not that he minded and Alice didn't seem to have a problem with it either. Edward couldn't help but notice that the new guy was sitting by himself. He briefly considered approaching him but dismissed the thought immediately. After all, Emmett was scary.

"Do you think we should go talk to him?" Alice asked as if she had just read his mind. Following her gaze, Edward saw she was looking sadly at Emmett and he shook his head in response.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." he told her quietly, "He doesn't look like he wants to talk to anyone." Edward really did get the feeling that he wanted to be alone and any interruption into his silence would not be taken well. It seemed as though, if he had have been a lot smaller and less conspicuous, Emmett would have been invisible. Edward knew what it was like to seek isolation so he recognised the signs well.

"Alright," she sighed in defeat, "But I feel bad. Maybe we could show him around later?" She pleaded with puppy eyes and Edward found himself agreeing against his better judgement.

"Okay then." he sighed, "But Alice, please don't go over the top..." Alice's face lit up and she smiled at him, a smile that melted his heart.

"Don't worry, I won't." she promised as she reached out to put some marmalade on her toast.

"Hello guys, good morning!" Sally called out, entering the room. A murmur of "Good morning" rippled around the table. "Well, it's the first of August so you know what that means!" She continued before pausing to wait for an excited response, but when only a few people whispered to their neighbours she continued entirely unfazed. "Yep, it's the start of our annual charity month. And this year we're going to be helping out the children's ward at the hospital. Come on guys, cheer up, this is your chance to give back to the community!"

Alice nudged Edward and smiled, she had been looking forward to this for weeks. She adored the children and was extremely talented at tugging on people's heart strings to get them to donate money to whatever charity they were helping that year. He also enjoyed the sense of purpose in helping those who were less well off. However he didn't miss the irony that while they were working for charity, somewhere there were people collecting for children just like them.

"We're getting on the minibus at 12.00, so be there or be square. Just kidding!" Edward shook his head sadly at her terrible sense of humour, "But seriously, if you're not there, we will leave without you. Okay guys see you at 12.00 sharp!"

It was one o'clock before they were pulling out of the driveway on their way to the hospital. Edward couldn't help but remember the disastrous events of the last year's 'Charity Month'. Firstly, it rained the entire time they were out collecting and they got soaked every day. Alice even got the flu and was in bed for weeks. And then Riley, the resident joker of The Husky Dog, had pretended to be dying of Leprechaun Disease and spent days speaking in a thick Irish accent to anyone who would listen. Eventually he convinced a kind old man to donate a thousand dollars to the hospital to try and find a cure for his disease. He thought it was hilarious, the doctors didn't. Although they did accept the donation after explaining to the man that it wasn't a real illness, of course. Finally, Edward had had to tell off an old lady in the cancer ward for smoking and she chased after complaining about the length of his hair and trying to it with scissors.

He hoped it would be different this year. It was sunny which was a good sign, he supposed, and he did secretly find Riley quite amusing. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all - as long as he stayed away from crazy old women who thought he looked like a hippie. He might even meet the pretty girl Alice had told him about.

Edward reached up to adjust his scarf before realising he didn't have it on. He had become used to having it there and hardly ever took it off. Despite Alice's many jokes, he was extremely fond of it and his neck felt bare without it. She was sitting beside him now and staring off into the distance through the window. On the other side of the isle sat Emmett who was also staring moodily at the scenery. They were there at Alice's request but Edward had forgotten that she always demanded the window seat. That left him next to Emmett which wasn't really desirable because from this close up the bulging muscle of his arms was even more evident and a little terrifying. As it was too warm for a leather coat he was only wearing a Slip Knot t-shirt and dark jeans which unveiled some pretty impressive tattoos that snaked their way down the arm closest to Edward.

While he was studying the intricate Celtic design, Emmett's head snapped around to look at him. Edward blinked and quickly looked away but Emmett's eyes locked onto something behind him and widened in surprise. Edward turned quickly around just in time to see the headlights of a car come speeding towards the minibus. He froze in panic, his hands clammed up and a cold sweat broke out over his face. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he remembered.

_Brakes squealed._

A car screeched.

_The car swerved out of control._

A girl screamed.

_The car crashed into a tree._

The seatbelt pulled tight.

_Blood was everywhere._

"Edward!"

He blacked out.

* * *

"Edward..._Edward_." A cloudy female voice swirled around in his head. He frowned and opened his eyes slowly. He realised he was still sitting in the bus but was slumped back in his seat, Alice was leaning over him eyes wide in a look of worry.

"Edward, are you okay?" Her voice was calm but there was an edge of panic to her words. Edward sat up a little straighter and nodded. Actually his head was spinning and he felt sick but he didn't want to worry Alice. Physically he was unhurt, in fact the car stopped before it even hit the minibus they were in, but his heart was pounding frantically against his chest.

"Are you sure?" A deep and slightly husky voice came from his other side. In his confused state he looked around and flinched slightly when he realised it was Emmett who had spoken. Emmett stared at him with a neutral expression for a couple of seconds before Edward realised he was expecting an answer. He took a deep breath and answered in what he hoped would be a convincing voice.

"I'm fine thanks," he said, his voice quavered slightly but thankfully Emmett seemed to accept it and nodded gruffly before turning away from him again. Alice, on the other hand, was not so easy to comfort.

"Are you _sure_?" Alice asked again and Edward laughed lightly.

"For the twentieth time Ali, yes I am absolutely fine." He smiled at her and she raised an eyebrow at him before sighing. He knew it was a sign that she didn't believe him but was willing to drop it. When Alice turned back to look out the window, Edward closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He hated driving at the best of times and sudden stops or near-crashes sent him over the edge.

His parents had been killed in a car accident when he was four years old; his father died on impact, but his mother had survived until they got her to hospital. He didn't really remember much of them, or of what happened next, but a couple of things stuck in his mind. One was the car crash itself; the way the headlights of the other car came out of nowhere, the way the car spun out of control, the sound as it smashed into the tree, and the blood- the blood that went everywhere and smelled so awfully of salty copper. The thing he remembered best was his mother begging for them to save him, to take care of him, no matter what it took. Then she was taken away and he never saw her again.

A nice blonde doctor took care of him until he fell asleep, he had been scared but not upset as he was too young to understand what was going on. After that he didn't really remember anything that happened up until he met Alice. No sooner had Sally introduced them than she waved at him happily and dragged him off by the hand to play dress up. Alice had always been that way with people -so warm and kind- and it was one of the things he loved about her. They had been best friends ever since.


	3. Chapter Three

Rosalie Hale sat in her uncle's office playing with scale model of the human body that was sitting on his desk. She had been sitting there for what felt like hours and was getting extremely bored. She looked up as the door clicked open but it was just her twin. He handed her a packet of chewing gum and flopped down on the small leather sofa beside the desk.

"You took your time." she commented, popping a piece into her mouth, "Where'd you go, Canada?"

"No, there was a line at the gift shop actually," Jasper replied, flipping his fringe out of his face and opening the chips he had bought for himself, "Apparently there's some sort of charity thing going on downstairs." Rosalie groaned and dramatically pushed her head into her hands.

"Oh God, not that again. That must be why Esme wanted us to come here. She knew if we heard the word 'charity' we'd run a mile in the other direction."

"Well, you would," Jasper teased, "When was the last time you did anything for someone else again?" Rosalie narrowed her eyes at him, picked up a stapler and threw it squarely at his head. He ducked out of the way and it landed with a soft _thunk _on the sofa beside him.

"Ha-ha," she said dryly, "Plus, not wanting to hang around with homeless losers doesn't make me a bad person."

"It does when you call them 'homeless losers'. They're orphans, I thought you would understand that." Jasper looked at her pointedly and she felt a slight pang of guilt.

"Yes, well I'm not interested." she huffed and crossed her arms across her chest as if that made it final.

"Oh come on," he coaxed, "It beats sitting here all day."

"Well..." Rosalie considered reluctantly, "I suppose I _could _collect a lot of money, what with my excellent persuasive skills and stunning beauty-"

"Not to mention your admirable modesty," Jasper interjected sarcastically but ignored her affronted look as he steered her out of the office and down to the reception area.

Downstairs reeked of disinfectant and old people, Rosalie wrinkled her perfect nose. The middle aged woman behind the reception desk looked up from her gossip magazine as Jasper and Rosalie entered the waiting room. But then again, so did everyone else. Every eye in the room followed her as she swayed through the crowds of sickly looking teens with gawking mouths and rowdy children with their fingers stuck in bottles or some other ridiculous ailment. Eventually she reached her uncle Carlisle who was standing with a bunch of do-gooding care kids.

"Alright, you can split into two teams, one team will go out collecting and the other team can visit the children's ward," A rumble of voices went around the group as Carlisle turned around and saw them standing there, "Ah, there you two are. Everyone, this is Jasper and Rosalie, they'll be helping you with your charity work."

It was a familiar situation to Rosalie; the girls stared enviously at her and the boys, well, they just stared. There were only a few exceptions to her rule, some girls were staring at Jasper with cloudy looks on their faces. She had never really thought about it but she supposed that, being so closely related to her, Jasper was pretty handsome himself. Her eyes were drawn to a ginger kid who looked about 16, a year younger than her, with his mouth half open and drool dripping off his chin.

"As well as that, you'll need to find yourself a partner in case you get lost," Carlisle went on, snapping several people out of daydreams. This time an excited buzz took over the salivating teens. Rosalie, seeing an opportunity for fun, winked at the ginger kid standing across the circle. Holding up her index finger, she beckoned slowly for him to come towards her. His emerald eyes went wide in shock and he pointed to himself in disbelief. She nodded and he mumbled something unintelligible to the tiny girl with black hair who had just tugged excitedly on his sleeve before drifting to Rosalie's side as if her were in a trance.

"Hi," Rosalie smiled at him sweetly, watching out of the corner of her eye as a guy with sandy blond hair, who had just been about to ask her to be his partner, veered quickly off in a different direction to ask someone else.

"Hey, I'm Edward," Ginger stuttered, "Are you Jasper or Rosalie?" He added before looking horrified that he had even asked. Rosalie opened her mouth to respond scathingly but was cut off by Carlisle.

"Alright, has everyone got a partner?" He asked, glancing around. Rosalie noted that Jasper had gone over to Edward's friend who had been looking sadly after him but was now gazing at Jasper with only slightly more dignity than the girls earlier.

"Don't you have a partner, son?" Carlisle asked, causing everybody to turn around to the seat that he had addressed. He was talking to a guy with raven hair, dressed entirely in black and covered in piercings and tattoos who had to have been at least twenty.

"I don't need one," he answered in a deep, but rough, voice that sounded like he didn't use it much. He looked extremely uncomfortable that so many people had noticed him, in fact, Rosalie hadn't even known he was there until about a second ago. Carlisle seemed to sense this and was about to move on when Edward's friend shot up her hand.

"He can be a three with us!" she announced, loudly for someone so small. Crow guy didn't look thrilled about the idea, but instead of arguing, he drifted gracefully through the crowd of people to where she and Jasper were standing. Jasper looked a little disappointed that it wasn't just going to be him and the pixie but he didn't object.

"Alright, thank you. It's Alice, isn't it?" Carlisle smiled at her and she nodded, "Okay, so split into two teams."

It took the best part of fifteen minutes to split up but eventually they were ready. Rosalie and Edward were in the collecting team which didn't sound particularly appealing but definitely beat the 'cheering up the children' group which Jasper had been enthusiastically forced into by his pixie. Resigned to her fate, Rosalie took Edward by the arm and led him outside into the icy Alaskan street where they were greeted by the sting of the unforgiving summer breeze.

* * *

_Wandering free,_

_Wish I could be,_

_Part of your world._

Jasper sat in awe, listening to Alice's amazing voice ring out across the children's ward. It was so powerful for someone so small but refined and delicate at the same time. She was singing a selection of songs from Disney movies, all pretty standard stuff that the kids would know, but there was something hauntingly beautiful about the way she sang; the emotions in her eyes, the passion in her voice.

When she finished everyone applauded, Jasper the loudest of them all. She beamed back at them happily, giving them a bow before bouncing over to his side.

"How was it?" she asked shyly. Jasper smiled down at her, because she really was tiny, and handed her back her handbag that he had been holding for her.

"It was...wow," he answered honestly, not knowing how to express how good her singing was.

"Really?" She grinned happily at his response and it puzzled Jasper that she really didn't appreciate her talent.

"Yeah, you should be a professional someday," he went on, not being able to help the smile pulling at his lips when he saw how happy his comment had made her. She turned back to listen to the nurse who was thanking her for her lovely performance and her beaming smile disappeared temporarily form his sight.

"...And now they're going to read you some nice stories, okay?" the nurse said to the children who cheered in response. It was amazing how positive and carefree the kids were no matter how bad their condition was. Jasper followed Alice over to a bed holding a little girl around seven with tubes attached to her nose.

"Hi, my name's Alice," She introduced herself happily but sat down on the bed beside her with a very gentle grace. The girl smiled back, a gap toothed grin that lit up her face.

"I'm Jessica," she replied, sliding further into her covers, "Will you read me Little Red Riding Hood?"

"Sure I will," Alice smiled again taking the glossy picture book off her and opening it to the first page. Bright pictures of a girl in a crimson cloak and a devilish wolf spilled out from the double spread. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived with her mother at the edge of a wood. She adored her red cloak and wore it everywhere, so all her friends called her red riding hood. One day-" Alice was cut off by a large wail which escaped from a small blonde boy in the bed opposite Jessica's. He ducked under his covers, pulling them tight over his head as nurses ran over to him in a panic. Standing silently a few steps away from the bed was Emmett.

"Wahh!" the boy cried from his refuge, "Don't let the scary man kill me!" Jasper and Alice glanced at each other in concern before turning to look at Emmett who was standing with his jaw locked but an otherwise eerily stoic expression on his face.

"Don't worry Mike, honey, nobody wants to kill you," a young and extremely bony nurse laughed nervously trying to pull the covers off the child's head.

"Noo! He looks freaky, like a monster or a murderer!" Mike's muffled voice still echoed across the quiet ward. Jasper noticed Alice bite her lip anxiously as she watched nurses try to calm Mike down. One of them waddled over to Emmett and stood on her toes in an attempt to whisper something to him. For a second his eyes seemed to blaze white hot before he turned away from her and kicked over the children's toy chest, sending Lego and Barbies flying across the floor. Letting out a roar of frustration, he punched his fist into the wall with so much force that the plaster cracked and fell away, leaving an ugly indent where his hand had been. With a final grunt that almost sounded like an angry animal, he spun around and marched out of the room.

* * *

Emmett stormed down the corridors of the hospital like a furious tornado, blowing away anything that got in his way. Angry nurses and startled doctors tried to call him back but he just ignored them and kept on walking.

But once he got outside, he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. _A criminal _he thought to himself, _that's all I am. That's all I'll ever be. _He was so sick of everyone judging him before they even knew him. Although to tell the truth even if they did make an effort to get to know him they wouldn't like what they found. Well that was just fine, if a criminal was all they expected him to be, that would be all he was.

"Faster Edward," a girl's voice drifted around the corner, "We don't have all day. There are sick children to help you know." Emmett opened his eyes and leaned forward, folding his arms across his chest just as the two people came around the corner. He recognised them as the ginger kid from the 'home' and the girl who was related to one of the doctors here.

"I'm sorry, Rosalie, but I don't see how this will help us collect money," Edward said, holding up the many shopping bags he was holding. The girl, Rosalie, sighed and spun around to face him, swishing her long, golden hair at the same time. She was very beautiful with her snowy skin, silky hair and perfectly defined features. Not to mention her incredibly sexy figure which Emmett couldn't not appreciate. But there was something about her that didn't seem real somehow, as if she was some sort of angel.

"For the last time, Edward, it's a publicity stunt. If you wear the outfit I picked out for you, everyone will want to donate money!" she hesitated for a second, smirked, and added, "Besides, if my stunning beauty doesn't draw people in, I don't know what will." Emmett snorted loudly and both Edward and Rosalie noticed him for the first time.

"Something funny?" she asked, raising an annoyed eyebrow at him. He shook his head with a smirk that rivalled hers.

"It's just you're so modest, that's all." He moved away from the wall slightly, putting his hands in his pockets. She flicked her hair in annoyance and placed a hand on her hip as if she was about to argue but Edward chimed in before she could open her mouth.

"Um, Rosalie?" he started nervously, "Collecting?"

"Yes, yes Edward, I'm coming now," Rosalie snapped before remembering she was supposed to be being nice, flashed him a smile and added, "Just a second okay?" He didn't look happy but he wandered a few steps away just out of earshot of their conversation.

"Nice." Emmett deadpanned coldly, leaning his head to the side and received another raised eyebrow from Rosalie.

"I hardly think it's any of your business. Besides aren't you supposed to be helping out with the kids?" She demanded. A shadow passed over his face and Rosalie was suddenly horribly aware that she was arguing with a potentially dangerous stranger who could probably kill her with one hand.

"I was." He said stonily, silently cursing himself for talking to her. Who was she to speak to him? She should be cowering in fear or, at the very least, too nervous to talk to him. But no, she was different. Not afraid, just... irritated. It was a refreshing change. But still, she _should _be scared. "Now I'm not. Problem?" His voice was soft but deadly and his eyes were as sharp as daggers.

"I, no, I..." Rosalie trailed off taking a step back in alarm. She had realised too late the situation she was in but something made her feel comfortable around him. Despite the threat that was thinly veiled in his voice she found that she wasn't as afraid as she knew she should be. She didn't feel threatened by him, not because she was confident he couldn't hurt her, but because she knew he wouldn't.

"Emmett! There you are," Sally called, tottering around the corner in her straining kitten heels, "Don't just run off like that, I was worried!" She stopped just in front of him and leaned half over to catch her breath. Emmett turned to Rosalie but she was gone and when he turned back to Sally she was dangling a collection box in front of his face, "Here, take this, I think it'd be best if you stayed away from the children from now on. Everybody else is taking a break in there so you can go on up and get some juice and biscuits. Your new friend Alice is looking for Edward, have you seen him?" She paused for an answer but caught the back of Edward disappear down the street and she ran shouting after him, "Edward! Edward, come back, it's lunch time."

Emmett watched her go with a frown before looking down at the collection box in his hands. Despite his resolution to become a hardened criminal there was something about those kids that was so pathetic, that wordlessly begged for help. Even as he tried to tell himself he didn't give a damn, he knew it wasn't true. His heart hadn't frozen over completely and even if no one even recognised his actions, at least he could do something to help. Besides, if there was one thing he was good at it was bullying people, and that was exactly what he was going to do.


	4. Chapter Four

Alice and Edward sat in the hospital canteen chatting happily about the day's events so far. Alice was sitting on a table giving her a much needed height advantage, swinging her legs backwards and forwards and babbling about her new best friend Jasper as she ate.

"And then Jasper had to calm all the kids down. He was amazing, it was like magic," Alice smiled happily at the memory. Edward let out a quiet sigh and sunk back further into his chair. Alice, realising that she had been talking about Jasper for the past ten minutes, swiftly changed the subject. "So how was your day?"

"Well," Edward started, pausing to decide exactly what to tell her, "I had a great day too. Rosalie and I went to get supplies for collecting this afternoon. We should get a lot considering it's such a good day." Alice smiled knowingly at him and Edward felt himself redden slightly under her gaze.

"So are you going to ask her out?" Alice asked smiling even though she felt a little jealous of all the attention he was giving Rosalie. Edward averted his gaze trying not to let Alice see his embarrassment.

"I- don't think so. She's, I mean, we're just friends," Edward mumbled uncomfortably, looking down at the floor.

"Oh, that's a shame," Alice said with a twinkle in her eye, "You guys would have made a cute couple. Oh, that reminds me! This is really funny, earlier Jasper thought that you were my boyfriend! Can you imagine?" Alice giggled and buried her head in her hands. Edward felt a slight twinge at her words and the corners of his mouth pulled down slightly but Alice remained blissfully oblivious to his feelings.

"Yeah," he sighed sadly, "Imagine."

"Oh, speak of the devil," Alice nodded over Edward's shoulder as Rosalie swayed into the canteen following a very irritated looking Emmett. He went to sit at a table by himself but Rosalie stayed on his tail, standing across the table with her back to Edward. From what they could see she was saying something and Emmett was ignoring her without even a hint of subtlety. She stamped her foot and the corners of his mouth twitched up in a reluctant smirk, but he still didn't lift his gaze from the table to look at her.

"I wonder what that's about," Alice wondered out loud as Rosalie gave up and stormed off to get a drink from a vending machine.

"I don't know, they were talking earlier," Edward replied, "But they don't seem to like each other very much." Alice tilted her head to the side, a cute little habit that she had when she was processing information which made her slightly resemble a puppy.

"Does Emmett like anyone?" she asked half-heartedly, going back to her sandwich. Edward was spared from answering the clearly rhetorical question when Rosalie pulled out a chair and sat gracefully down beside him.

"Ugh, I hate him," she complained, tucking in her chair and taking purposeful a sip of water. Alice raised her eyebrows at the sudden interruption, but Edward found himself happy to see her. "He's so annoying."

"Yeah, he is," Edward agreed, nodding animatedly. "You should just ignore him." Rosalie smiled at him sweetly, glancing around and noticing Alice for the first time.

"I'm sorry," she smirked, "Am I interrupting something?" Alice opened her mouth but Edward quickly interrupted her.

"No, not at all. Do you want something to eat, because I'll buy it for you." His words were so fast and nervous they were almost a blur but Rosalie seemed to understand. She laughed a tinkling, but slightly false laugh that made Alice sick and Edward smile like an idiot.

"No thanks, I'm counting the calories... Besides, this hospital food is disgusting, you know?" She leaned so close to Edward he could smell her saccharine breath on his face. He nodded open mouthed in response. "I suppose there _is _that smoothie bar across the street but I don't have any money..." She trailed off and sighed dramatically.

Right on cue, Edward jumped up and pulled some change out of his pocket. "Don't worry, I'll get you one."

"Thank you so much Edward, that's so nice of you," A smile split across Rosalie's face, "I'll have an apricot and orange fruit juice, ice, no lumps and easy on the cream, okay?" Bewildered, but eager to please her, Edward hurried off to get her drink. With nothing else to do until Edward came back, Rosalie turned to the pixie girl.

"So you must be Alex."

"Alice," she replied slightly bitterly, rejecting the dainty hand that Rosalie had extended to her with a discomforted look on her perfect features as if just by touching her she would catch a case of 'the poor'.

"Whatever," Rosalie said, taking back her hand and giving Alice a critical look, "Listen, I have to go do something, but when Edward gets back, tell him to come find me, okay? Okay." And with the she got up and breezed off entirely unaware of Alice's powerful glare on her back.

* * *

There was something about Emmett that fascinated Rosalie. When she was with him she felt nervous and safe at the same time. He felt so familiar like she knew him from a dream or another life. Not to mention the way her heart beat a thousand miles an hour when he looked at her. It was time to do some digging, and she knew just the person to talk to.

"Look I wouldn't ask you if I had any other choice, believe me, it's probably not worth you having this over me. But... I had no one else to turn to and...as much as it pains me to say this... you're the best in the business. So will you help?" Rosalie stood in the dimly lit office. It was still sunny but the blinds were closed only allowing little rays of light to slip through them. The figure sitting in a simple office chair was silhouetted from where she stood.

"I'm not sure if I can help you Rosalie," Jasper said dramatically from behind Carlisle's desk, spinning around in his chair to face her.

"Come on Jazz, don't make me beg." Rosalie sighed, placing a hand on her hip in frustration.

"Rosalie Hale...begging?" Jasper raised an eyebrow, "Now there's a sight I'd like to see."

"Are you going to help me or not?" Rosalie demanded as Jasper folded his hands underneath his chin, looking a lot like a Mafia Don. If there was one good thing to be said about her twin brother it was that he was almost as theatrical as her and would go along with just about any charade she invented.

"That really depends on how nicely you ask," he smirked in reply. This annoyed her deeply but knowing that he was her best shot she decided to play nice.

"Fine," she huffed, "Please will you help me find out more information on Emmett? Please."

"Okay," Jasper laughed as he stood up to go and join Rosalie at the door, "But only because I'm such an amazing person."

They stood around the corner and watched as Emmett intimidated passers-by into throwing money into his collecting bucket.

"So obviously he's a bully-" Jasper started but was cut off by a "duh" from Rosalie. He looked at her in an unimpressed sort of way. She smiled sheepishly and muttered, "sorry."

"By the looks of it he's been this way for a while, 10 years at least. You can tell by the frown lines around his mouth." Jasper pointed out. All the time Jasper was talking, Rosalie didn't look away from Emmett, she wanted to take in all the information she could find about this mysterious stranger.

"His tattoos are old." Jasper continued as Emmett held out the collection bucket and, in his haste not to get beaten, a mousy-looking middle aged man accidentally dropped his wallet into it.

"See how they're faded and a little cracked? And the way they're a little warped around the biceps?" Rosalie looked as the man moved his hand as if he was about to fish his wallet back out, swiftly changed his mind and then hurried off down the street. She nodded in agreement and couldn't help but admire the thick bands of muscle wrapped around Emmett's arms. "Well that shows he's grown since he's had them done. If he has one across his back it'll probably be unrecognisable by now."

"All interesting stuff Jazz, but I expected better from you," Rosalie tossed her blonde head and smirked at him, half smug and half hoping to prompt something more interesting from him.

"Ah, but you haven't heard the genius bit yet," Jasper replied, "A couple of piercings have been infected but re-pierced. No one would do that to themselves without having someone to impress. And combined with the tattoos, he was trying to impress someone."

"So you mean like a girlfriend or something?" Rosalie guessed. She found it hard to believe that someone like Emmett had ever tried to impress anyone in his entire life.

"Not quite. More likely he's been somewhere undesirable. My guess," Jasper paused for effect, "Prison."

Rosalie gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth melodramatically. "Jasper, are you sure?"

"Yup," he nodded amused by her dramatics, "Sherlock eat your heart out."

"No..." she breathed, genuinely disbelieving of her brother's words even though it should have been so obvious,"What for?"

Jasper laughed. "I'm good, but I'm not that good. Sorry Rose, I gotta go," he added as the little girl Rosalie had come to know as Alice appeared around the corner and made her way over to Emmett. "Good luck with your stalking. And be careful, he's dangerous." Before Rosalie could protest he had run off after Alice, leaving her hiding alone.

Rosalie stood in a shocked silence staring at Emmett from her spying post. _Prison_... But she'd been so sure that it was all an act, that he wasn't really as dangerous as he pretended to be. What about that feeing of security she had when she was with him? Either Jasper was mistaken or her senses were off but either way she had to be sure. Taking a deep breath, she straightened up and started over to him hoping that, for once in his life, Jasper had gotten it wrong.

* * *

**So there you have it, as much of this story as there ever will be. I have planned it out until the end so if you're curious you can ask me. Otherwise I apologise again and thank you for reading ^-^ ~EternallyJaded**


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